Axle
An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle is supported.
Meaning & Origin of Axle
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle is supported.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Axle
Axle first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1989, with 12 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 150 Axles were born — ranking #1,267 that year. As of 2026, Axle ranks #1,757 for baby boys with 94 births, falling sharply (-21%). In total, more than 2K Axles have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Axle
Phonetically similar names — useful when Axle is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Axle
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About the name Axle
Axle is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1989 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Axle's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #1,267. Use the chart and map above to compare Axle's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2021 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.